The US initiated last week trade investigation targeting China's aluminium industry, news wires reported. The inquiry will examine if aluminium alloy sheet is being sold below cost or with the help of government subsidies and could lead to tariffs. The probe has been launched without a complaint from a US company, unlike similar previous investigations.

The probe intends to advance President Donald Trump's tough-on-trade agenda. “President Trump made it clear from day one that unfair trade practices will not be tolerated under this administration, and today we take one more step in fulfilling that promise,” US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

The US imported more than $600m in aluminium alloy sheet from China last year, according to the Commerce Department. It said it has evidence that the imports pose a threat to US industry. The case will now be investigated by the International Trade Commission, with final decisions expected in 2018.

Under the Obama administration, the US complained to the WTO about aluminium subsidies in China, but the Trump administration has embraced a more direct approach. In April, the Commerce Department launched an investigation into steel imports on national security grounds.